Chivas de Guadalajara and Monterrey, two teams on forgettable seasons, will face off at Estadio Omnilife on Sunday, August 26, 2012 at 18:00 PM EST. Chivas began the Apertura 2012 of the Liga MX on a very negative note but last week against San Luis they were able to obtain their first win. Monterrey kept most of the squad from last season which made it to the runner-up position, but they have only been capable of making six out of fifteen possible points this season. Like Pachuca vs Santos, this will be a match between two teams that are in dire need for a win.
After beginning the Apertura 2012 with two out of twelve possible points, and playing horrid soccer, Chivas was finally able to obtain its first victory since the Clausura 2012. This week, there was a more positive air in ‘Verde Valle’ but unfortunately for the goats, they were defeated in their first match of the CONCACAF Champions League against Guatemala’s Xelaju. The team lead by John van’t Schip has pressure from the fans and from Jorge Vergara to keep winning in the Liga MX. For this to happen, Chivas needs a strong backline against Monterrey who’s offense can come back to life any game. Captain Hector Reynoso has had many mistakes at leading the Guadalajara backline, therefore, he needs to have a perfect game to allow Chivas to have a clean-sheet. On the offense, Marco Fabian is on a different level from the rest of his teammates, and it will be his duty to lead this team to victory.
Monterrey, like Chivas, had high expectations prior to the season. This is a team that has the same base of players who lost the final against Santos in the Clausura 2012 and who also won the the final of the Concachampions (against Santos). One would have imagines that these players have played many years together, therefore their results would be better, but this is a team that is still on preseason mode. Monterrey will face a team that has done worse, but at the end, it is a team that is also desperate for good results. For the ‘rayados’ to win, Humberto Suazo and Aldo De Nigris need to play they were four months ago; this team needs goals. The strongest line of Monterrey is the offense, who also includes Angel Reyna, Chelito Delgado, and Nery Cardozo, therefore, only four goals in five games is unacceptable for this team.
Prediction: Both teams are desperate for good results because another loss could mean they miss the playoffs. Moreover, if Chivas loses, van’t Schip could start seeing his days at the ‘rebaño sagrado’. This will be a good match between two desperate teams, and unlike previous weeks, both teams will not play a conservative game; they will attack to win. The score will be Chivas 2 – Monterrey 2.
Television: The Chivas vs Monterrey match will be shown on Telemundo this Sunday, August 26 at 6:00 PM Eastern.
